Control

Fans of Joy Division will really appreciate the care and detail that went into this biopic retelling of Ian Curtis' short life. I don't consider myself an expert on him or his story, so I can't speak for acuracy, but it felt very sincere and not sensational. There were many details that I didn't know about him and this added so much to my appreciation of the band and the music.

The cast was great. Samantha Morton is probably the most experienced among the actors and you would never know it. The soundtrack was all performed by the actors, and they were spot-on in terms of appearance.

Jon and I talked about the tragedy of Ian's life and how if treated properly, his mental disorders probably would have been brought under control. But then, his art wouldn't have been what it was and so much modern music has been inspired by them. Such a sad story for his wife and child and such a gift to the world that his genius was.

The Darjeeling Limited

It's taken me a while to decide if this was a good film or a great one. Sometimes it's not obvious on the first watching, and having seen it only once, I might have to reserve judgment. The thing is, I know that, as in other Wes Anderson films, there are hundreds of hidden gems of self-reference throughout and on more watchings they will reveal themselves. I also absolutely love his absurdity. His unspoken jokes are the very best ones.

That said, I also think I finally understand (and agree) when people say that Wes Anderson can be self-indulgent and overly whimsical. Ebert called it "terminal whimsy" at one point, but I am not sure I would go that far. I don't think Ebert is alone, though, The Life Aquatic lost a lot of people who had loved his earlier movies. (I actually loved that movie, but I think it was Bill Murray who carried me through.)

In this case, the whimsy is everywhere - the train itself is a whimsical notion. The luggage (literally the brothers' baggage -- seems like an easy joke, but the design and number of those bags makes the joke work perfectly) was whimsical. It was all well done and I was quite happy to go along the whimsical ride.

We got an email before we went to the movie from Gibson saying we were supposed to watch Hotel Chevalier, a short film about one of the characters, before we see the film, but neither Jon nor I had time to watch it beforehand. At the theater, before Darjeeling Limited played, there was a trailer asking you to watch Hotel Chevalier and it showed the website. We watched it the next morning and I just don't think it added anything to the other movie, so I question why he connected them so prominently. I mean, it's a fine little peek through the keyhole at the one brother's back stories, but it might go back to that self-indulgence thing again. It's OK. At least it was short.

The casting in this movie was brilliant. I love that Bill Murray was there. I loved Adrian Brody. I kept thinking about Owen Wilsons' suicide attempt, which was distracting. Angelica Houston was perfect. As long as Anderson keeps making movies with his friends in them, I will go see them.

Michael Clayton

Feh.

Sometimes I wish that George Clooney would try a movie where he didn't have a scene where he is nose to nose with another actor, speaking sternly, or loudly, and staring at them in the eye, like they are men in mortal combat for their souls or those of the women who love them and they are locked in some kind of earnest-off. Who can look more...more...compelling! Sensitive! Truthful! Real! Ugh!

I like him well enough, but not well enough to like this movie. Why did he have a son in this story? Why did he have a gambling problem?

I love Tilda Swinton and she was good, but the character seemed beneath her talent.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

The movie was fine. Not great. Not bad. Cate Blanchett did an incredible job as Elizabeth again, but she was the only memorable actor for me. This story seemed more accessible and wide-market focused than the first Elizabeth movie. Again, the wardrobes were gorgeous and she was quite a badass.

We caught this movie in Lincoln City, Oregon where the theater's hallways were covered in floor to ceiling brick-patterned carpet! It was glorious. It reminded me of this old game I used to play when I was a teenager. I want to say King's Quest, but I can't remember.

Se, Jui (Lust Caution)

Newest release from Ang Lee, whom I have really enjoyed in the past (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain). Very indulgent and saturated with rich color, carefully shot and really, really badly written. One of my biggest pet peeves is when nothing is left for the viewer to figure out. The (very) graphic sex scenes feel awkward and gratuitous. The story is flat and while, it did keep us interested, it just didn't meet our expectations.

I did like the costumes.